Audacity and Bravery
by Typesalot
Summary: Young woman on her own, had the x gene but her ability never surfaced, that was, until just recently. Her changes were not un-noticed by that of Victor Creed. This is the Victor Creed as played by the talented Liev Schreiber.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, I'm not new to this site, but I've read so many of your stories, I thought that I'd take my own spin on one. I must say, I've enjoyed Leonaria Dragonbane's stories, aswell as Linda J's. I love the Victor Creed stories and hope I do him some justice here!

As always - I don't own Victor Creed, and write this in pure enjoyment only. Thanks!

Audacity and Bravery

Sarah busied herself at her laptop. Keys quietly typing out her latest story she had going on in her head. She pauses in thought, then hurriedly types out a paragraph. Then pausing again... she's stuck. It wasn't the story that was stuck, she was good at those; But she thinks to herself how good a coffee would be right now.

She's reluctant to leave her cozy apartment. She likes living on her own. Young that she is, never did she feel more at home than alone in her own apartment.

It got easier when she finished school. Got an open contract with a publishing company, and submitted stories often for money. This latest story she was spilling out to her computer had her quite busy this week. Barely leaving her apartment except to grab a few groceries from the corner market. She was quite a loner but she didn't care. She had a friend or two that she would chat with occasionally but everything was as she liked it. All her adventures were in her stories, and sometimes she'd live them over and over in her head, or in a new story she poured out into text.

She sighed, and pushed her chair away from her desk. Yes...she had to get that coffee or that craving would gnaw at her all morning. She absently rubs her stomach '...hmmm, perhaps I should eat?' she thinks to herself.

She throws her hair into a ponytail, and grabs her jacket before exiting her apartment. She was about 5 floors up. She didn't bother with the elevator. She took the stairs down. She often avoided the elevator when she could. This building she lived in was pretty old. There were a lot of smells that wafted through, and it always seemed worse in the elevator. She swore she could smell the moment that guy down the hall lit up his damned cigarettes.

She almost wretched near the bottom floor The smell of kitty litter faintly wafted through that floor. The cat lady must be cleaning her cat boxes again. She hurriedly exited the stairwell out the fire exit, trying to breathe in some of the fresher air of the outside. 'Ahhhhh...that's much better!' she thought, silently reminding herself that she really should find a better apartment, but knowing she'd probably couldn't quite afford it just yet.

She started walking towards the cafe that was located just past the park down the street.

The morning was still quite early. Some of the early-birds were already out, going about their day. Shops along the strip were preparing for opening. She quickly peeked behind her. This feeling of being watched was really starting to bug her. She noticed it these last couple weeks. Every time she had caved and took a peek behind her, there'd be nothing there. She was beginning to think perhaps she was losing it. A life of loneliness was the probable cause, but still – she could swear she'd hear someone following at times!

She sighed, and continued past the park. Taking a deep breath in – savouring the smell of the woods, and the nearby pond. It was always so fresh smelling here. Then the waft of coffee slowly intermingled with it. 'Mmmmmm...' she stopped in front of the coffee shop and quickly admired it before entering. This coffee shop had an old feel to it. She loved this place!

She used to bring her laptop with her to continue her stories here, that was until the last 2 weeks after the 'followed' feeling started.

She waited in line. She didn't need time to check over the choices, she always got the same thing – large coffee, 4 creams – none of that fancy-schmancy shit they seemed to overload the menu choices with.

She caught herself lost in thought again, almost like she was in a trance. "Ma'am?" from behind her, it was an older gentleman that was waiting just behind her. She shook herself mentally, giving her head a slight shake. "Oh..." she exclaimed, when she noticed she was the next in line as the lady behind the counter was ready for her order. "Thanks, sorry!" she said to the gentleman behind her before approaching the cafe clerk. "Large coffee please – 4 creams..." she said to the lady, and fumbled out her money.

'What is wrong with me this morning?' she scolded herself. She couldn't quite concentrate for some reason. Almost like her mind just went hazy.

She handed the clerk her money and thanked her when she was passed the coffee. "Thank-you!" she said to the clerk when she was handed the change. She turned around and stepped to the side so the older gentleman could get by to give the lady his order.

She started to head towards the door and felt a wave of dizziness slowly sweep over her. She grabbed the side of a nearby chair and stood quietly for a moment.

Once her head cleared, she decided to sit down at one of the chairs for just a moment. "Maybe I have a cold coming on..." she said under her breath as she started to open the lid so she could sip her coffee a bit. She took a long sip, letting the warmth slide down her throat. She loved her coffee, always made her feel like she could do anything after that first cup. Heaven forbid if she ever had to give it up, she was thinking to herself allowing a glance around the room at the other coffee seekers enjoying their coffees.

Then she locked eyes with a gentleman at the far corner. She's not sure how long he had been there for but it was as if he was watching her the whole time. It made her uncomfortable so she looked away almost as quickly as they'd locked eyes, and looked back down at her steaming cup of coffee.

She then looked up at the tv the cafe had installed just ahead of her. The 24 hour news channel was on as always. There was a ticker with news flashes on the lastest happenings in the city. Nothing too interesting. Local crime, entertainment, government fighting with the mutant rights parties that was stirring up the elections.

Never a dull moment there. The whole reason why she was in this mess. She had tested positive for the X gene. Her family practically flipped out. She was furious when she found out her Step-Father had her tested for it to begin with. Then the whole mood in the household changed, like she was less of a person. Fights ensued. Later, she appied for emancipation so that she could move out. Now at 18, she was finished highschool – and providing for herself in her own apartment doing was she loved to do – write! Fate works in mysterious ways sometimes.

She sighed and sipped her coffee again. It didn't quite taste the same anymore, it actually tasted more. Like she had grown more tastebuds or something? She felt a little warm. "I gotta get home..." she muttered to herself quietly and started to stand, easing herself up again. Dizziness wasn't quite as bad but she felt nothing would feel better than being home again – maybe she should go back to bed? She grabbed her coffee, and quickly looked around.

The fellow she had locked eyes with wasn't at his spot anymore. She didn't care where he had went, she just mentally shrugged, turned around and exited the cafe.

She slowly started walking back towards the apartment. Maybe she was coming down with something? She started to feel a little feverish. She tried to hurry a little more, hoping a good sleep might work her through it. She reached her building and decided the elevator was the better choice. She pressed for her floor and leaned against the wall as the elevator squeeked up 5 floors. The doors opened and she quietly walked to her apartment.

She locked up the door behind her and made her way to the bedroom, but before she could get there, a strong dizzy spell had her grab for the wall in the hallway, and she slid down it, her cheek catching the wall on the way down, and passed out.

When she came to, sounds around her were a little buzzy and far off sounding. She opened her eyes fully, glancing around and remembering that she had passed out. She then became suddenly alarmed.

She was now on top of her bed! The blanket that was usually at the end of her bed was pulled over her. She pulled it slightly off herself, 'Did I get up, and go to bed?' she tried to rack her brain to see if she could remember getting up off the floor but for the life of her, the last thing she remembered was going down.

She felt her head. It was still warm but not quite as bad as this morning. This morning...she glanced over at her alarm clock by the bed. It was 5 o'clock in the evening. Had she really been asleep all day?

She shifted her legs over the side of the bed. She was about to stand up when she heard running water coming from the kitchen.

Ok...now she was very alarmed!

She spied the bat just by her closet and quietly grabbed it. No one had a key to her place! She didn't have a clue who it could be in her apartment. 'Maybe the landlord?' No, she'd have no reason to come up here, she was always on-time with her payments, and she wasn't even friendly with her.

She slowly opened her bedroom door wider. Making her way to the kitchen, she kept looking around the rooms she passed. Nothing was out of place. The TV was on, but the volume was down really low.

The water turned off in the kitchen. Her heart jumped, and sped up. She heard a metal sound being placed on her stove. She fought the urge to call out to see who was there.

As she was almost at the opening of the kitchen... "You should be in bed, you need your rest" a deep male voice came from the kitchen. Just then, he poked his head out at her. Those eyes had her locked in that stare she remembered from earlier at the cafe.

"Who are you...and, what are you doing in my apartment?" she exclaimed quickly, her bat raised at her side like she was waiting for a pitch. Her heart thudding through her ears.

He smirked slightly, rather dangerously even. It sent a deep chill of worry through her. His dark hair & sideburns made him seem gruff and scary looking. He was taller than her, almost a head taller. "I don't want to have to carry you there again if you pass out" he said so matter-of-factly.

She narrowed her eyes, "Who _are_ you?" she demanded coldly now.

"I'm Victor Creed" he nodded toward her, almost friendly like, but not quite.

"Well Victor, mind telling me how you got into my place?" she said incredulously, bat still raised high. His eyes seemed to smile at the fact she was still brandishing the bat, ready to strike at him. He crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned back against the stove behind him.

"Locks were never a problem for me...besides, I don't think they've updated those since this old place was built. It was child's play."

"So what, is this a regular thing for you – to go into people's homes where you don't belong?" she said starting to get more annoyed, and upset at his audacity.

"Who says I don't belong here?" he said coolly.

"Who says you do?" she said without missing a beat.

"Look, you really need to calm yourself down before you hurt yourself." He said standing from his leaning position. When he unfolded his arms from his chest, that's when she noticed his fingers had claws.

This made her back up one step, and her eye's met his again. He smirked at her, darkly. He knew she'd seen the claws.

"You're a mutant." She said...paused, then "What do you want, why are you here?" He stepped forward another step, forcing her back one. Her bat raising slightly, heart started pumping harder with adrenaline.

"I'm here for you kitten" he said rather sweetly but the dark look in his eyes never leaving.

That was all she needed to rear up and strike her bat at full force. She missed the first time, and she reared up and swung again with a viciousness she never knew she had in her. He caught the bat mid swing as it was aimed right at his head. His dark look changed to a disappointed anger. He looked at her then, and yanked the bat from her grasp.

She then turned to run down the hall hoping to get to her bedroom. She felt her feet get swiped out from under her, landing her on her stomach knocking the air from her. She started gasping and trying to get up to go further but he pinned her down on the ground in front of her bedroom.

"I was going to try to do this nicely, but I see you aren't really leaving me a choice here" he said lowly in her ear.

"Get off me you asshole!" she screamed really loudly. Hoping that someone would be in the outer hall to hear her, she started screaming out loud.

That started to even hurt her ears, but didn't stop her. Quickly he clamped a big hand over her mouth, and picked her up around the waist with his other. She was carried like some doll to her bed, and thrown on top of it.

That shocked her as he pounced on her on the bed, straddling his legs over her, slightly sitting on her hips effectively immobilising her onto the bed. His hand covered her mouth again as she had taken in a deep breath to scream some more. Her hands started desperately trying to claw off his hands when suddenly she stopped.

He stopped and looked where she was looking and smiled.

"Yeah, just noticed that did ya?" he said.

She stared at her hand that was still around his hand that covered her mouth. They were clawed! The nail beds still looked the same, but the white tips were thicker, and came to rounded points at the ends.

"If ya promise to stop screaming, I'll take my hand away..." he said eyeing her for an answer. She sighed and blinked in a submissive way, looking up at him as if to say she'd behave, for now, anyway. He took his hand from her mouth.

"You really shouldn't be up just yet, what you're going through, this is normal" he said to her.

"How do you know, I mean, what's normal?" she questioned him.

"I have a half brother, he fell ill before he changed too."

"I didn't think I was going to change" she said, not really to him.

"What do you mean" he said giving her a curious look.

She looked up to him like she hadn't meant for him to hear that "I mean...when I knew I had the gene, I didn't think it really meant anything. You know, nothing was wrong with me when it showed – I thought maybe nothing else would happen"

"There _is_ nothing wrong with you" he said, a little annoyed.

"Why are you here anyway, you said for me, but why?" she said trying to get herself up from under him. He wasn't budging. "Can you please get off of me, you're heavy!"

He seemed to look her in the eye a moment, judging if she'd do something stupid but her eyes remained looking at him. He shifted his body off her, and sat beside her effectively in the line to the door. She sat up against the headboard, tucking her feet under her.

"If I hadn't come here for you, someone else may have." He said to her. That confused her even more. Fear started subsiding into confusion.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about?"

"What's happening to you now, may draw others too you. You have no idea what you are, do you?"

"A mutant?" she said, slightly shaking her head as if to say 'duh?"

"That's beside the point. You're a feral, a female feral"

"Feral...what, like an animal?"

"Yeah, something like that." He said with a slight smile.

"Okay...so what?"

"So, ...do you have any idea how rare a female feral is?" he asked her, placing his hand down on the bed beside her.

Her heart started to speed up again. She didn't like being so close to this stranger, even if he does have a name now. The fact that she hasn't tried to run from the room screaming yet, she tacked up to the fact that he seemed to be knowledgeable to her current predicament, and that she must be in shock or something.

"Up until today I didn't even know what a feral mutant was, so no, how would I know how rare a female feral would be?" she said trying to focus her fear again.

That remark seemed to draw a slight smile from him, but not much.

"I've encountered one, many, many years ago. But I didn't claim her, and have regretted it ever since. I'm not making that same mistake again." He looked her in the eye at "claim", it unsettled her.

She was dumbstruck; she didn't know what to say at that point. If he thought he was just going to come in here and take her away, she wasn't going without a fight.

Anger started to build in her. She wasn't sure where all this bravery was coming from, because normally, she would've just fallen apart or ran screaming for help. But she felt like she was being challenged at the moment.

With her anger, she felt a tingling sensation where her nails were and noticed they had started to elongate from the nail beds. This didn't go un-noticed by Victor either as he watched her nails grow, a smile grew on his face. He looked up to meet her gaze again.

"I am not chattel!" she said coldly and calmly.

With that, she lunged at him. He acted like he had expected it, and grabbed her in midair, rolled over the bed and had her flying over his head and into the far wall. It stunned her at the speed of the whole maneuver but she got up and ran for the door. He had already flipped off the bed and grabbed her from the door posts, flipping her towards the bed again. Her fingers still had pieces of the door jam in it.

She flipped over the opposite side of the bed and started to grab things off her dresser to throw at him. That seemed to piss him off because he started coming for her then. She tried to hop over the bed to get to the door but he swiped her foot out from under her and pinned her down to the bed again much like they were before.

"You bastard! Get off of me you asshole!" she started yelling out at the top of her lungs. She tried to claw at him but he grabbed each wrist and pinned them to her sides. She was panting, trying to catch her breath. He was barely winded but looked pissed off.

"Look, I'm trying to be really nice here, and you're ruining it – so either, you're going to behave, or I'm going to make you behave, got it?" he was really close to her face.

"Please, just let me go?" she said...scared now, almost at the point of crying.

"Not a chance!"

"Why...why are you doing this?" tears started streaming down her face.

"Because _you _are _mine_...the sooner you realise that, the less painful our encounters are going to be."

She took a deep breath. He wasn't letting this go. She had no idea how she was going to get out of this, but hoped to be smart enough to try to figure out a way. If she just behaved, and maybe got him to trust her, he'd let his guard down and she'd be able to get away then.

She looked away from him, facing away from the door and started to silently cry. He took it as submission as she thought he would. He stared down at her for a minute, before nuzzling her neck "good girl" he purred into her ear.

She could feel him get up off the bed, and slightly close her bedroom door. She could hear him walk down to the kitchen and move stuff around. She assumed he was getting something to eat.

Her mind started racing again; Trying to formulate possible escape plans. She mentally smacked herself for being on the fifth floor. Had she been on a lower floor, she could've taken that as an opportunity to jump out her bedroom window. There'd be no way she could survive a jump this high.

She fully faced the wall, pulling at the little pieces of wood still in her new nails, or claws rather. She couldn't believe that she was a mutant. When her step-father had tested her without her knowledge, she seriously thought it was a load of crap. She didn't feel different, and to have been treated so differently after this gene test, was heartbreaking, not that she had the best relationship with her parents to begin with but that just made things worse.

She heard him walking back to her room. Her door opened wider, she could smell food.

"Here, sit up." She heard him say.

"I'm not hungry, please go away!" she said, not very loudly, just very put out.

"I wasn't asking – now sit up!" he said a little louder.

She spun around just then, with an angry look on her face "Fuck you! You can't just come in here and do what you want and take who you want, just leave me alone and let me sleep! I told you, I'm not hungry!"

With that, he put the food down on the bedside table, and sat on the edge of the bed. Almost calmly, he grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her within an inch of his face so they were eye to eye. The move was so quick, it had Sarah take in a gasp of breath.

"You listen here kitten, I don't take kindly to people telling me what to do. So either, you eat your food, or I'm going to feed it to you. You got me?" he said, with a shake at the end for emphasis.

She paused a bit, before dropping her eyes and nodding.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – Wow! My story wasn't up 24 hours and I already gained 1 review, 2 favourited stories and 4 story alerts! If that just doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I don't know what does! Thanks!

Chapter 2

He got up from the bed and watched her from the doorway a minute. She looked up at him quickly, seeing he wasn't leaving. She picked up the plate from the bedside table, and slowly started to eat. It felt like a difficult task because she was already upset, and when she got upset, it made it hard to swallow.

When he was satisfied enough that she was going to continue eating, he left the doorway. He left the door ajar, and padded down the hall to the living room. She heard him sit on the couch to watch tv. She sat there for a minute, taking in the whole situation that had unfolded. She was at a loss as to how this all came to be, but vowed to herself, the first good chance she got – she was going to high-tail it out of here!

"Keep eating" came the slow command from the living room. This got a low growl out of her, the growl ended in a surprised sound because it truly shocked her that she could even make such an animal sounding growl. She heard him chuckle, and this made her furrow her brows, and begin eating again.

Her food was leftovers from lastnight's dinner. Chicken, with tomatoes and pasta. It just didn't taste as good when you were forced to eat it. She finally finished it and placed it back on the bedside table. She contemplated if she should get up and put the dishes in the kitchen. This was her home after all.

She made to get up, sliding her legs over the side of the bed. "Forget it-" she heard him get back up again "–I'll do that, you get back in bed and get some sleep" she saw him walking toward her bedroom.

"I'm not some kid you know, this is _my_ apartment!" she said, however, not as strongly as she had wanted it to sound.

"Sleep. We have a long drive ahead." He said picking up the dishes.

"I'm _not_ going anywhere with you!" she said a little angrier this time. He eyed her then. His eyes went dark, he took the dishes and went down the hall with them. She heard him set them rather hardly in the sink.

When he came back out of the kitchen, he was striding rather forcefully toward her bedroom again. It was enough to have her sitting onto her knees, nudging herself further from the door to the other side of the bed. She didn't like that look he was giving her. Predatory even.

"Lay down and face the wall." He ordered, leaving no room for argument, she did as she was told although reluctantly. Just as she was laying her head on the pillow, she felt the bed dip and an arm snake around her waist.

"Ah!" she yelped out, not expecting the movement. He pulled her close, draping the blanket over her, and replacing his hand around her waist again.

"Stop squirming!" He said almost annoyed. Immediately she stilled. Her heart started hammering in her chest.

"Breathe will ya...you're going to sleep if I damn'd well have to make ya" she let out a breath she hadn't realised she had kept in. She had never been this close to anyone, let alone in her own bed.

Her mind started racing, and her breathing was a little fast. She did not like this one bit. Yet, part of her felt not quite scared at the whole situation, which started to confuse her even more. She should be more than panicked at this point.

Victor's breathing began sounding deep and even, from behind her. Slowly it started to calm her nerves. Her eye's started to get heavier. She was trying to fight it off, but her body was telling her she needed the rest. With each inhale and exhale she heard from behind her, she started to drift off deeper and deeper, until finally she fell asleep.

Hours later she felt a gentle nudge. "Kitten..." another gentle shake "..kitten, come on, get up." She peered over to the clock on the bedside table. It read 2am. She felt out of it. Not quite fully aware of the full situation.

"It's 2, let me sleep..." she mumbled, laying back down.

"It's time – come on, lets get going. Pack yourself a bag." He said going over to her closet. He hadn't even turned on a light. He grabbed an empty travel bag that was at the bottom of her closet, and plopped it onto the bed beside her legs.

"Either you pack yourself some things, or you leave with nothing." He stated sincerely. That had her eye's opened. He was staring at her from the closet. This was the first time she noticed that she could see with rather great detail in the dark.

She sighed loudly. She hated anyone telling her what to do. She got up and turned on the bedside lamp. It actually hurt her eyes momentarily. She started at her dresser and tried to pack what she thought she may need. 'What do you take with you when you're forced against your will?' she thought sarcastically. If the situation had been different, she would be laughing right now but she had to be serious here.

Before she knew it, she had her bag packed with some clothing. Enough for a week she felt. At some point during her packing, Victor had actually left her room so that she didn't feel like someone was eyeing her.

While he was gone, she picked through things in her room, trying to remember where she had put down her cell phone. If she could just find it, she could call for help. Key word – 'if'.

"Looking for this?" she jumped as he came from the doorway just then. Her cell phone was dangling in his clawed fingers. He dropped it into her waiting hands when she made a reach for it. She looked down at it. 'No Service' blinking on the front. Of course, he removed the SIN card.

"Gee...thanks" she said flatly. She tossed it into the waste bin by her dresser from where she stood. It clanged loudly in. He was starting to piss her off. This just made him smile.

She grabbed her bag and pushed passed him, barely enough room to get by. She dropped the bag onto the couch just outside the hall. She turned around and he was looking at her from the bedroom doorway, not making a move.

She shook her head and went into the bathroom, angrily shutting the door behind her, locking it.

"Don't do anything stupid" he said from outside.

"I can't – I'm sure you already know there's no window in here!" she said very annoyed. She didn't know how long they'd be driving for so she made sure she used the bathroom. When she finished, she started washing her hands in the sink. This was taking a little longer than usual as her fingers were really sensitive with her new claws. She could feel the sharpness when she wasn't careful. She thought of how much damage these might do if she learned how to use them. They did get pretty long when she was pissed earlier. She sighed and looked into the mirror. It made her take in a breath, she didn't look quite the same anymore. Her hair was a bit of a mess, but her eye's seemed greener, brighter even.

She dried her hands and put a comb through her hair. Not that she was caring about how she looked at this point. Just who was she trying to impress anyways? She pocketed her comb and took her toothbrush and toothpaste with her when she left the bathroom. Not surprised to see Victor leaning against the hall wall with his arms folded across his chest. She didn't bother making eye-contact and headed for her bag. She put her toothbrush, paste and comb from her back pocket into the bag and looked around the living room.

Her gazed fixed at one spot. Her laptop was still on her desk in the sunroom in front of the living room. She took a deep breath and turned to Victor.

"Can I take my laptop with me?" she asked him, looking up at him after she asked. He didn't answer her right away, as if he was thinking it over.

"What for?"

"I write stories, I've got stories on the go that I'd like to submit"

"You don't need to work anymore"

"That's not the point, I _like_ writing" she said, trying not to sound snotty, but he was pissing her off. Writing, for her, was almost calming.

"Bring it here." He said simply. She hesitated, but he nodded his head toward the direction of the sunroom. She went over and picked up her laptop. She disconnected the power cable and wound it up in her hand. She picked up her laptop bag beside the desk, but didn't put the laptop in it just yet because he was motioning her to give him the laptop. She really didn't want to give it over, but the dark look in his eyes returned as if challenging her to disobey him. She looked down at her laptop and then handed it to him.

He checked it over, checking out the ports on either side. He then used his claw to deftly pull out the network card at the side of the unit, rendering her computer internet-free. She inwardly growled as he pocketed the card and handed her back her laptop. Instead of arguing, she bit her tongue and slipped her computer into her shoulder bag along with the power cord.

"Are you done?" he asked her, picking up her packed bag.

"My stuff...all my stuff, how long will we be gone?" she really didn't know what he had planned for her and it was eating at her. She didn't want to go. She shouldered her computer bag.

"I'll take care of it later, come on." He gently grabbed behind her upper arm and started leading her to the front door. He opened the front closet and passed her out her jacket. She looked at him and slipped it on. She looked down for her shoes and slipped them on aswell.

He didn't miss a beat, and simply grabbed her upper arm again and led her out the door, locking it with her apartment key. Pocketing that too, along with the network card.

They took the stairwell. It was eerily quiet. It was after all, sometime after 2 in the morning. She slowly started into panic mode again. He didn't give her too much time to think as he pulled her after him. The closer they got to the ground floor though, the stronger her fear became.

"P-please...where are you taking me?" she said shakily, slightly pulling back from him, letting the fear get the better of her. He looked at her then, almost with a look of sympathy but it faded quickly, she almost missed it.

"I told you, my place. Keep moving."

He led her out the building and onto the sidewalk. They walked a little ways down the street, then across it. Heading towards a black sports SUV. He walked her around to the passenger side. His other hand had the key fob in it and he pushed the button to open the doors. Without letting her go, he opened the door and slipped her into the passenger side. Taking her shoulder bag from her and set it down beside the bag he just put down outside the vehicle.

Instinctively she reached for the seatbelt, and made to put it on before he took it from her looking her in the eye a few inches from her face. She couldn't help but feel locked into his gaze again.

"Now, listen to me. You try anything stupid - _anything_, you're going to be one sorry girl. I'm a hell of a lot stronger and faster than you are. Don't believe me - _try_ me." He said flatly. She simply stared and swallowed without saying anything. Honestly, what would you say when a predator had you cornered?

Satisfied that he put a scare into her, he put the seatbelt on for her and shut the passenger door without letting his eyes off her. He then opened the back passenger door and put the bags in the seat behind her. Slamming that door, he walked around the back and into the driver's seat.

He put the key into the ignition and drove down the street heading for the interstate.

For the next while, neither of them said anything. It was so quiet it was almost deafening, for sake of the sound of the vehicle. Victor's sudden move to the radio actually made Sarah jump. It made Victor sneer but he didn't say anything. He turned the radio on and turned it to a music station. Volume was set low but it could still be heard.

It actually made her feel a little better and she settled back down into her seat.

After a while, questions started formulating in her head. Victor must've sensed this also as he started a low growl before grounding out a "What?"

"Where are we going?" she said meekly, not wanting to piss him off.

"North" he said pausing. She thought he may not say more, "I've got a place in New Hampshire" he continued. That was a bit far, they would be driving for some hours.

She thought silently before blurting out her next question "So...how did you find me?"

Victor paused before answering, "I was in town, I actually smelled you as you passed near me."

"Smelled me?" she said wrinkling her brows.

"Yes."

"Hmm...how long ago?"

"Three weeks."

"I knew it!" she whispered to herself.

"Knew what?" he asked turning to her for a moment before looking back onto the road.

She paused a moment before continuing - "I had a feeling that I was being followed...that was you."

She mulled that over for a few minutes...then - "Wait...why did you wait so long if you knew you were just going to take me anyways?"

"I had to be sure."

"Sure of what?"

"That you were a feral."

"You mean, you weren't sure at the beginning?"

"I had a hunch, but your scent wasn't strong yet"

That seemed to shut her up for the time being as she was digesting the information. He was around all this time, and she didn't even know it. She knew there was something off these last few weeks. She mentally smacked herself for not discovering it sooner. She could've maybe had avoided this whole situation in the first place had she been a little more observant.

She propped her elbow on the door and leaned her head on it, watching the streetlights pass by as they drove past them. How was she going to get out of this mess?

The car started to veer into another lane, jostling Sarah awake. She hadn't realised she had passed out asleep again. The sun was starting to come up. She rubbed her eyes and started looking around. They were driving around a small town.

"Where are we?"

"Finding a place to eat."

'Well _that_ was informative' she thought to herself. She started to look around trying to place where they were, a sign, anything!

They pulled into a small diner just down one of the roads they turned onto, and parked down the side a little ways off from the entrance.

He turned off the car and turned to her fully. He waited until her eyes met his. "You are not going to say anything to anyone here. Remember, it's not just you that will get hurt. If you care about their safety as much as your own, you're going to behave, are we clear?" she blinked, hesitated, then nodded in affirmation. She wouldn't admit it out loud but she was indeed hungry.

He got out of the car, and waited until she exited aswell before pushing the key lock, locking the doors. He held his arm out as if trying to herd her towards him, but she was not going to have any of it. She started briskly trying to walk past him to get to the diner, but he grabbed her anyway so that she was walking right beside him. This elicited a low growl out of her. She heard him lowly chuckle beside her.

He turned to her before opening the diner door for her "You will learn, I'll see to that." He said darkly. She paused before entering the now opened door, and dropped his gaze as she entered in front of him.

The diner seemed a little darker inside as the windows were not facing the sun side, which was just fine with Sarah. Her head seemed to be pounding as she still wasn't feeling a hundred percent yet. Smells hit her a little harder now, and it was a little over-whelming at how many smells she was taking in. She tried to focus on the food smells only...that seemed to lessen the bombardment.

"Table for two?" an older lady came out from the counter. She smiled at Sarah. Sarah didn't feel much like smiling today but gave a half hearted smile just to play the part.

Victor nodded to the lady from behind her and she motioned them to follow.

"Is this alright?" she motioned to a booth near the side next to the window.

"This is fine." Victor stated. The waitress left a couple of menus at the table before turning to Sarah again, "Would you like something to drink?" Sarah looked at Victor, then back to the waitress again. "Some coffee?"

"No problem, and you sir?"

"Same."

She smiled and walked back to the kitchen to get them their coffee.

"Sit on this side" Victor motioned to her when Sarah had began sitting down.

"Why?" she looked at him.

"Just do it." She sighed and did as she was told. She was trying to stay calm but she did not like these constant orders. Victor sat down opposite of her. He was facing the door. He seemed to be surveying the room before his attention was back in front of him.

"What?" she said a little angrily.

"Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?" he sneered at her.

"When someone has _you_ against their will, let's see how _you_ would act."

He dropped his gaze from her. "Figure out what you want." He said rather annoyed, flicking her a menu with his claw.

She snatched it from the table and took a breath, trying to dispel some of the anger she was feeling. She was trying to decide what to order, when the waitress returned with their coffees and a small carafe of cream.

"Here you go dear...are you ready to order?" she said pulling out a pad and pencil.

"Can I just get some pancakes please?" she asked, grabbing the cream and adding it to her coffee.

She jotted it down, and looked at Victor. Sarah's eyes met Victors and he gave a disproving glare at her before turning his attention to the waitress again.

"I'll have the big breakfast, with an extra order of bacon and sausage."

She jotted his order down and took the menus before leaving their table again.

He was looking at her again.

"What's your problem now?" she asked him.

He shook his head and took his coffee. Sipping it while watching her.

She just sighed while wondering what his problem was, and tried to ignore him while sipping her own coffee. She noticed the bathrooms in the back.

"I'm going to go use the bathroom" she made to get up. He put his hand over hers quickly, causing her to look back at him at the sudden movement.

"Remember what we talked about."

"Yes." She said, cooly, looking him in the eye.

"Don't challenge me kitten, you're going to lose."

She slipped her hand out from under his when he loosened his grip, and made for the bathrooms.

To her dismay, there were no windows in the bathroom. She growled but stopped herself knowing he'd be listening from outside. Washing her hands she looked in the mirror. She wished she had a pen. She could've wrote a help note and left it in the bathroom. No use in beating herself up about it. She'd get her chance, she just had to bide her time.

She pushed the button for the blow-dryer for her hands, but the sound was too much for her and she left the bathroom quickly, covering her ears. When the bathroom door closed behind her, she sighed and wiped her hands on her jeans instead. Sounds seemed louder now. She'll have to remember that for next time.

She made her way back to the table and sat down. He eyed her. She was avoiding the stare.

"Problem?" he said condescendingly.

"Yes, you." She said without missing a beat.

"Didn't have to go?" he smiled.

"Fuck off." She said quietly. 'He _knew_ there were no windows' she thought to herself angrily.

The waitress came back with their orders and placed them onto the table. Victor's meal was huge, pancakes, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, toast, eggs and ham. The waitress set the extra order of bacon and sausage beside his plate also.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked them with a smile.

"No, thanks." Victor responded. The waitress nodded, pocketed her pad and left them to eat in peace.

He scooted the extra order of bacon and sausage over to Sarah's side of the table.

"Eat." He stated.

"I have pancakes, thank-you." She stated flatly.

He looked at her sharply, it made her slink back.

"Don't push me." He said lowly.

She watched him for a moment, then looked down at her plate and began to eat her breakfast. Her temper on a low simmer. Victor began to eat his meal. She eyed his plate. It was almost sickening, the amount of food on his plate. He was eating it as if the amount was nothing to him.

"What?" he said looking up from his meal.

"Nothing..." she looked down at her own meal. She tried to continue eating, it just seemed like a lot of food. Her appetite was never large when it came to eating.

"How can you eat so much food?" she finally asked him. He was nearly halfway through his breakfast already.

"You have to, your body requires it." He said looking at her then.

"You'll learn kitten, I'll see to that." He smiled as he started eating again.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews! I'll try to post often as the story continues to pour out of my head. 2 Chapters so far, 4 nice reviews and many story alerts...I'm flattered. Thanks! Onto Chapter 3 now!

Chapter 3

After their meal was eaten and paid for, they were back on the road again. Her belly felt so full. She was surprised that she actually managed to eat everything. She settled into her seat for the ride. Her eyes feeling heavy again, she tried to shake off the tired feeling trying to overtake her.

"It's better not to fight it Kitten." She heard him say from his side of the car. He hadn't even looked over at her.

"Fight what?" she said, opening her eyes wider. Shaking her head to fend off the sleepy feel - "And stop calling me that..._my name _is Sarah."

"You're trying to stay awake. If you're tired, sleep." He said looking over at her.

"I've been sleeping too much...besides, what do you care?" she snorted.

"It's my business to care. You're _mine_." He quipped, rather amusedly.

She snorted, sarcastically. 'Whatever' she thought to herself. She tried to make her surroundings outside her window seem much more interesting to look at to try to keep herself awake. It also helped her to ignore her present company in the vehicle.

She watched the city start to pass from view. Her head started to pound with what felt like an impending migraine. She tried to ignore it but the pain slowly started to become more painful with each passing minute. With it, her jaw began to ache. The pain travelling down from her wisdom teeth, down to the front of her teeth – she hadn't felt pain like this before. It was starting to bring tears to her eyes as the pain became worse.

"What's wrong?" he stated calmly, pausing to glance over at her.

"I don't know...my head hurts so bad, my teeth too..." she said trying to massage the pain out of her eyes and forehead.

He seemed to sniff the air, then started to pull the car over, and slowing down to a stop on the shoulder of a rural road. He turned the car off and took the keys from the ignition.

She heard him get out of the car, but she wasn't paying too much attention as the pain was currently getting her full attention. She started to whimper but tried not to as it seemed anything she did, even moved, caused the pain to increase. She silently cried from under her hands as they were covered over her eyes still trying to massage the pain out.

She felt her door open, and felt him reach over her to undo the seatbelt. She only looked up when he shifted her legs to face out the door.

"Lemme see..." he tried to brush her hands down so that he could get a look at her. He studied her eyes, then took her jaw, causing her to cry out in pain. "Open – " he said, trying to be more gentle by lifting her lips up as she did so.

He looked at her with that look in the stairwell, with sympathy. "You're going to have to hold still a minute, your teeth are pushing through but the older teeth aren't detached yet. I'm going to cut them quickly so you have to hold still." He said looking at her.

At this point, she just wanted the pain to stop, and would jump off a cliff if it meant it would.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she did so. He took that as the affirmative and quickly cut the two teeth from the gums. She cried out in the momentary pain, leaning forward to spit out any of the residual blood onto the ground.

Relief started to flood over her as the pain started to subside. She spat on the ground again, and the blood was less.

"Look at me" he said, almost gently. She looked up at him and he grabbed her jaw gently, turning up her lips to see. Her teeth were fully in place now, the bleeding almost gone. Her new fangs now housed where her human canine teeth had been.

He gave a faint smile before it disappeared from his face as he dropped his hand.

"We need to keep moving." He stated, sliding her legs back into the car. She grabbed her seatbelt and put it on. He shut her door and walked back around the front of the car to get to his side.

Just like that they were back on the road again. Awkward silence filled the car. Her pain was almost fully gone now.

"Um..., thank-you" she said quietly.

He just looked at her, and put his attention back on the road again. After a while, Sarah became drowsy and she laid her head down against her arm on the door. Before long, she fell asleep again.

As the car jostled slightly, it stirred Sarah awake. She rubbed her eyes and took a look at her watch. She hadn't been asleep for long, maybe an hour or so.

She looked over at Victor. He seemed preoccupied. She notices his occasional glances up to his rear-view mirror. She looks out to her side door mirror to see what has his attention. She sees a dark coloured car just behind them a little ways, one person in the vehicle. She sat back in her seat, staring out at the road ahead of them.

"Is there something up with that car behind us?" she asks looking over at him.

"Might be..." he says quietly, not taking his eyes off the road. She started to worry a little, not that her current situation was any better.

"How long has he been following?"

He doesn't answer right away..." Almost an hour now".

She looked out to the side door mirror again. The car seemed closer now, she could almost make out the guy's features. The road started to turn. There was no other traffic except their vehicle, and the car following.

The road seemed to wind around forested area on the inside of the turn, separated by a wide grassy ditch.

She checked the mirror again. She could see the car lurch forward as it sped up. Her heart then started to speed up. She looked over to Victor to see if he noticed too. Victor's gaze was at his rear-view mirror. He didn't seem overly concerned until the car started rounding the driver's side. She could see the other driver look over at them, he was making angry pointing gestures to pull over.

Victor just shook his head in disbelief. Just then, the other driver turned his steering wheel, veering his car into theirs. Victor at a second before the cars hit had both hands up on his steering wheel at the ready and had turned his wheel to meet his car in an attempt not to be run off the road.

The other car tried again, and had come up farther to make the turn. This whole time, Sarah was shocked into silence. She had a death-grip at the handle just above her head near the door, and her other hand with claws embedded into the middle console to try and brace herself for the collision to come.

"Hold on!" Victor said as the other car made a sharp turn, hitting theirs with much more force this time. Victor tried to stabilize their vehicle but the car's front wheels were not responding. The other car was still revving his engine, effectively steering them closer to the ditch. Victor tried gassing and breaking in an attempt to dislodge the cars but it was too late. As the car was propelled into the ditch, it started violently rolling over a couple times before skidding along a few hundred feet on it's roof to a halt.

Sarah instinctively had her arms up, covering her head. She was hanging upside-down still held in place by the straps of her seatbelt. So was Victor. He easily sliced through his seat belts with his claw, bringing his body to the ground, which was now the roof of his car. He turned so that he could get at Sarah. She was trying to undo her seatbelt at the fastener. He pushed her hands away and grabbed one of the belts. She quickly put her hands above her to hold the roof. He made short work of both belts and Sarah was also freed.

Victor turned and tried his door...jammed. Sarah followed suit, her side wouldn't budge either. She started to panic.

"Hey – hey..." he said trying to get her attention. She looked at him then. Tears escaped her eyes, she quickly wiped them away.

"Back up a bit...I'm going to have to kick out the windshield." She scooted over more to her side of the car. Victor scooted himself closer so he was in the middle. Sarah held up her arm to cover hear face for glass as Victor raised his leg to start kicking.

First few kicks, the glass started to spider-fracture. The car started to shake as Victor put more force into his kicks. With the fifth or sixth kick, the glass finally broke in a big sheet as it started to come loose at the frame. He swiped his booted foot through the remaining glass to clean away an area for them to crawl through.

She made to go first but his hand stopped her. He crawled out in front of her and out of the window. As he turned for her, she started her way out. Suddenly there was a dark form that knocked Victor onto his back. Sarah cried out, pushing herself backwards into the car again. There seemed to be snarling from both parties, along with a blur of fists and claws. Victor flipped his attacker onto his back, now having the upperhand, he had the guy shaking back and forth like a rag doll. When he stopped, the attacker spat blood out just missing Victor's face.

"Give me the girl" he said lowly. His eyes red with rage, fixed to Victor's dark eyes.

"Over my dead body" was Victor's reply.

"That's the idea" his attacker smiled evilly. A dark low growl emanated from Victor, spurring fist exchanges again, coupled with more vicious claw gashing.

Sarah took this as her cue to slip away. She quickly exited the vehicle, rolling on her hip around the side of the car. Once she was sure they were both preoccupied with the fight at hand, she got up and was at a full out run. Running as fast as her legs would take her, she ran through the woods, knowing she'd be harder to track.

The trees seemed to whiz past her, the adrenaline rush had her running at what seemed to be faster than she thought she could run. She wanted to put as much distance as possible from the scene she just escaped from.

As she was running for what seemed like forever, she started to hear cars in the distance. She came to the end of the forest, she could see a main road, and a town up ahead of that. She walked up to the road, catching her breath. She actually felt invigorated after that run, it cleared her head. Her legs were a bit sore though.

She quickly crossed the road and walked into the town, heading for a heavily populated area feeling that may be safer than anything else right now. The sounds of the people and cars around her were a little overwhelming as she wasn't used to her higher-hearing just yet. She tried focusing on walking to try to take her mind off of it.

A few blocks ahead of her, she could see a gas station, with a telephone booth on the corner! She started to walk a little faster. A small hopeful smile playing across her lips.

A block from the gas station, someone stepped in front of her path. A large young man with a sly smirk, and another smaller man with straggly hair stepped out beside him. They both looked at her. She made to step around but they met her pace for pace. She quickly turned around only to see the attacker from before coming at her from the road she just crossed.

"SHIT!" she proclaimed quickly as she crossed the street to her right and made a run down the alley ahead of her. She could hear her pursuers running behind her. She tried to shake them by running past streets and into other alleys, nearly getting hit by a car as she crossed a street. Never looking back for fear of tripping up.

She saw a mall and quickly ducked inside. It was fairly busy inside, slightly crowded. Noises came at her from all directions. She tried to focus in front of her, pushing herself forward. If she could just find a payphone, she could call 911, get herself some help. She didn't remember seeing phones on her way in so she kept going forward, hoping perhaps the other side there was an exit...maybe some phones there?

She noticed as she walked by, that she was getting some people looking her way, giving her dirty looks. She didn't understand why. She looked down at her hands and realised they probably were realising she was a mutant. She put her hands into her pockets to help hide her claws.

Behind her she can hear some screams. She turns around, down near where she entered the mall were the attacker from the car, and the two men she encountered from the street. Some of the crowd had stopped, others running screaming as the attacker did appear mutant, he had his claws drawn, and his eyes were red as he was searching the crowd for her. His eyes met hers, she froze. When he started forward, it made her turn heel and run the opposite direction. Her hands with claws drawn were out of her pockets, causing any people in front of her to give her a wide birth. Then more chaos ensued as realization that there was another mutant hot on her heels causing a panic in the mall. People were running trying to get out of the way.

She saw the exit just ahead, the telephones were situated there. She wouldn't be able to make any calls. She looked around hoping for at least a mall cop but all she could see were regular people trying to run away from her and the people chasing behind her. She could hear them getting closer, they were screaming at her.

She ran out the mall doors into the parking lot. She started running down the side of the mall toward the business buildings. She could hear her pursuers just behind her exit the mall aswell as they slammed their way through the exit doors. As she nearly ran into another car, she also narrowly avoided another almost hitting her as it screeched to a halt on her left. The guy yelling at her for being so crazy didn't stop her from continuing her run across the street. She knew they were much closer as she could hear screeching and honking of horns behind her as her pursuers had made it to that same street she had just crossed at.

She was running down the sidewalk, taking down a poor lady that happened to get in her way. She didn't stop to apologise, instead, she ducked down the alley closest to her and made a run for the other side.

She heard a deep thrumming sound followed by a sound of stone picking just behind her, travelling over her head then, caused her to look up.

The attacker was up above her jumping from wall to wall. His feet and hands had claws that somehow helped him to attach to the wall. Her eyes went wide at the realization that he was overtaking her quickly. He dropped down just ahead of her before she could exit the long alleyway. She quickly turned right going down another opening, but soon realized that was a dead end. The wall was much too high to try to climb out. She turned back and found that the attacker was at the mouth of this alley, and the two others joined him, panting loudly.

'They must be working together, I'm in so much shit!' she panicked to herself. She backed up as the attacker walked forward, smiling evilly at her.

"Imagine my surprise at finding you today...you're sweet smell, I just couldn't resist not following you." His eyes still red. Fangs protruded from his mouth much like a bat. His hair was long, shaggy and black. The other two didn't seem mutant at all. They more or less stayed back a few feet on either side of the attacker, effectively sealing off the whole ally.

"I thought I almost lost you..." he stopped and looked thoughtfully, " but picked up your scent along one of the roads." He said, smiling again. 'Must've been when I spat out the blood from my teeth' she thought to herself.

"It's too bad I had to kill your friend you were with, he put up quite a fight for you. Now I can see why..." he said looking at her as he made his way slowly closer. She could see where his clothes were ripped, and parts bloodied from his fight with Victor.

"Please...just let me go..." she whimpered, hitting the wall behind her. There was no more room to back up. He simply smiled as he stood a couple feet in front of her.

"What a treat" he said clasping his hands together. "He hasn't even marked you yet..." he smiled.

She didn't wait to ask what he meant as she made a run to go around him. Suddenly she was grabbed by her hair and slammed back toward the wall she had been backed up against. She hit it hard, catching mostly her back. It knocked the air out of her as she hit the ground. She saw him coming at her and quickly made it to her feet trying to take a swipe at him.

He moved too quickly and ended up hitting her with his left hand before she had the chance, sending her to the ground again. She felt the blood trickle from the side of her mouth, her fang had caught her lip.

He stood over her, and bent down, grabbing both sides of her coat. He pulled her up off her feet. She gripped both his hands, claws digging in trying to get out of his grasp.

She cried out loudly in hopes that someone would hear her. Her yells echoed off the walls in the alleyway. She started kicking out trying to get the guy where it counts but he wasn't letting up.

He started chuckling deeply to himself. "The things I'm going to do to you..." he said dragging her close to his face. His breath smelled really rank, and she screamed out in terror.

A scream echoed just above her own, and the attacker turned around with one of his hands still holding her jacket. There she saw Victor as he sent one of the men into a wall with a resounding crunch like he didn't even weigh an ounce. He slid down the wall, his head was bleeding, and he was no longer moving. The second man made a run for it, panic clearly written on his face.

Victor looked squarely at the attacker after eyeing Sarah.

"You were dead...I killed you!" he exclaimed. Victor smiled darkly. His clothes looked bloodied and torn - especially in the neck region, but not a scratch was on him.

"Funny about that, you see – I can't die." He stated lowly. He approached slowly to where the attacker was standing with Sarah still in his grasp.

He suddenly threw Sarah backward into the wall again. She got up quickly, pressing her back against the wall. The attacker ran at Victor, snarling angrily. They clashed together, each swiping and growling. Blood spilt at each tear of flesh. Some of the blood even reaching her. The fight was so violent, she wanted to look away but couldn't seem to take her eyes off the fight. Her feet frozen in place.

Finally with one quick move, Victor cleanly took the attackers head off. That had her cover her eyes quickly as she held herself up against the wall trying not to fall. Her whole body began to shake from shock at the whole ordeal.

She felt him come up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She put her arm down, and looked up at him. His angered look gone. Her tears escaping her eyes, she quickly embraced him, sobbing into his chest. She felt him hesitate momentarily before putting his arms around her, rubbing her back.


End file.
